Can opener



Dec. 3l, 1957 H. J. BURTNETT 2,817,896

.CAN OPENER Filed Maron 6. 1957 INVENTOR Hcfurnefl Ik www ATTORNEY CAN OPENER Harry J'. Burtnett; Charleston, W. Va.

Application March 6, 1957, Serialy No. 644,313

8 Claims; (Cl. 30a-23)- This invention relates tolalnovel can opener of unique construction which can bei eiectively operated. for cutting oir the top of a can.

More particularly, it is an` aim. of the present invention to provide a can opener having a novely means for clamping the can opener to a can. whereby a4 swinging movement of a part of the can opener ina direction for executing a cutting stroke will efr'ect the securement of the can opener to they can, anda swinging movement. of said part of the can opener in the opposite direction will immediately release the can opener from a gripping engagement with the can, so that the. can opener as a whole may be slid circumferentiall'y ofthe can, after each cutting stroke, for repositioning. the can opener to execute another cutting stroke.

A further object of the invention is to provide a can opener including a pivotally mounted part which assumes position against a part of the rim of Ia can for holding the can opener in engagement with the can, and after which the remainder of the can opener is swingable relative to said part in accomplishing the cutting operation.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a can opener having a detachably ymounted cutting blade which can be readily removed for sharpening when necessary.

A further object of the invention is to provide a can opener having a part forming a shield which overlies the cutting blade and which additionally functions as a guide to maintain the cutting blade adesired distance below the top rim of a can so thatthe upperl end of the can will be cut off immediately beneath the upper end of the can.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure l is a top plan view of the can opener, shown in an applied position;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of a por tion of the can opener.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the can opener in its entirety and comprising the invention is designated generally 6 and includes a body portion 7 formed from a single piece of flat metal of sufficient thickness so that the body portion 7 is rigid. One end of the body portion 7 constitutes a head 8 and the other end thereof forms an elongated substantially straight handle 9. The head 8 is connected to an inner end of the handle 9 by a neck portion 10 which is disposed at an oblique angle to the handle 9.

The head 8 is iiared in a direction away from the neck nited States Patentl O F Llo 2,817,896 Patented Dec. 31, 1957 ICC 10 and is provided with a convexly rounded outer edge 11A and with side edges 12 and 13 which extend from the ends of said rounded outer edge 11 in converging relation to one another. The side edgeI 12 is substantially longer than the side edge 13v and its inner end joins with an inner side edge 14 of the handle 9. The` converging ends of the edges 12 and 14 form. the inner edge of the neck 10. The edges 12.and 14 formI an. angle somewhat greater than The side edge 13 of the headv 8 is of a length substantially less than. thelength of the side edge. 12 because said edge 13 at itsk inner end merges with the outer edge 15 of the neck 10 and which forms an angle with the edge 13 which is substantially greater than 90. The edge 15 of the neck 10 is disposed substantially at an oblique angle to the outer edge 16 of the handle 9.

A spacer block 17 is secured by nutv and bolt fastenings 18 to a portion of the underside 19 of the head 8, remote from its outer edge 11. The bolts of the fastenings 18 extend downwardly through the head 8 and thence through the block 17. A can cutting blade 20 has a back portion, a part of which is disposed against the underside of the spacer block 17' and through which the bolts of the fastenings 18 extend. The nuts of the fastenings 18 are disposed beneath the blade 20 and are tightened to clamp the blade tightly between said nuts and the spacer block 17 and so that the blade 20 will be disposed beneath, spaced from and substantially parallel to the underside 19 of the head 8. The blade 20 is very similar in shape to the head 8 and includes a convexly rounded sharpened outer edge 21, constituting the cutting edge of said blade. The blade 20 is bevelled on its underside to form ythe cutting edge 21 and said cutting edge is disposed nearly concentric to the outer edge 11 of the head 8 and is set back therefrom, as seen in Figures 1 and 4. The blade 20 has inwardly converging side edges 22 and 23 which are disposed nearly parallel to the edges 12 and 13, respectively. The edge 22 underlies and is disposed outwardly with respect to the edge 12, while the edge 13 overlies and is spaced outwardly relative to the side edge 23 of the blade, as seen in Figure 4.

A V-shaped clamping member, designated generally 24, is pivotally connected to the head 8 by a rivet or other fastening 25. The fastening 25 extends through the head 8 near the corner formed by the edges 11 and 13 and beyond an end of the cutting edge 21. Said fastening 25 extends through the member 24 near the apex 36 thereof, for swingably mounting the member 24 on the underside of the head 8 and with a portion thereof disposed against said underside 19 of the head. The member 24 is of a thickness substantially less than the thickness of the spacer block 17 so that a portion of the member 24 is capable of swinging between the head 8 and blade 20, as is readily apparent in Figure 2. The member 24 includes two arms 26 and 27 which extend in diverging relation to one another from the apex 36 and which have outer edges 28 and 29, respectively, which form an angle with one another of slightly less than 90. Said edges 28 and 29 merge with the rounded edge 30 of the apex 36 which is eccentrically disposed relative to the pivot 25, as seen in Figure 4, so that the end thereof which merges with the edge 28 is disposed nearer the pivot 25 than the other end which merges with the edge 29.

The upper portion of a conventional can 31 is shown in vFigures l to 3 and which includes a cylindrical Wall 32 which is closed at the upper end of the can by an end wall 33 in a conventional manner to form a crimped rim or bead 34 which surrounds and extends upwardly from the end wall 33. To apply the can opener 6, the V-shaped member 24 is swung about its pivot 25 relative to the body member 7 to position the edge 28 thereof substantially parallel to the outer edge of the neck, so that the rounded edge 30 will be moved to aposition laterally spaced fromV the side edge 23 of the blade. With the member 24 thus disposed and with the body member 7 right side up so that the blade 20 and said member 24 are beneath the head 8, the member 24 is positioned within the rim 34 of the can and against the can top 33 with a part of the rounded edge 30 against the inner side of the rim 34. The body member is positioned so that the edge 15 is beyond the dot and dash line position thereof as seen in Figure l, in a direction away from the full line position of said edge 15, and so that the edge 15 is disposed substantially tangentially of a part of the rim 34. With the can opener 6 thus disposed, the entire cutting edge 21 of the blade will be spaced outwardly from the can wall 32 and the part of the head 8 which is located adjacent the pivot 25 will overlie a portion of the rim 34. The can wall 32 is then gripped with the left'hand, substantially below the can top 33, and the handle 9 is gripped with the right hand and pulled toward the operator or clockwise as seen in Figure l. During the initial clockwise swinging movement of the body member 7 toward the dot and dash line position of Figure l, the end of the cutting edge 21 of the blade which is located adjacent the pivot 25 will fulcrum against a portion of the wall 32 and the pivot point 25 will move clockwise as seen in Figure l toward its dot and dash line position. The V-shaped member 24 will move initially with the pivot 25 and without swinging relative to the head 8. Thus, even if said member 24 is in an extreme position most remote from the clamping position thereof, as illustrated in dot and dash lines in Figure l, a relatively slight clockwise swinging movement of the handle 9 will cause the outer end of the arm 26 to move into contact with a portion of the inner side of the rim or bead 34. Further clockwise movement of the handle 9 will cause said outer end of the arm 26 to slide in a clockwise direction along the inner side of the bead 34. This will cause rapid movement of the pivot point 25 `toward an adjacent portion of the rim 34 so that the rounded edge 30 of the member 24 will quickly assume a position in engagement with the inner side of the rim 34. Thus, the member 24 will assume its full line position of Figure l having a two point contact with the inner side of the rim 34 before the handle 9 can be swung clockwise as seen in Figure l to its dot and dash line position of Figure l. After the member 24 thus assumes a position with its edge 30 and the outer end of its arm 26 both contacting the inner side of the rim 34, the body member 7 will commence to pivot clockwise about the pivot 25 and as the end of the cutting edge 21, located adjacent the pivot 25, is in contact with a part of the can wall 32, initial swinging movement of the body member 7 about the pivot 25 will cause said end of the cutting edge 21 to pierce the can wall 32. As the body member 7 continues to swing clockwise to and beyond its dot and dash line position und thereafter to and beyond its full line position of Figure l, the cutting edge 21 continues to cut the can wall clockwise. The cut executed by the blade is a slicing cut from the end of the cutting edge located adjacent the pivot toward the other end thereof which merges with the side edge 22 of the blade. During this cutting stroke the clamping member 24 and the pivot 25 remains substantially immovable relative to the can 31. The underside 19 of the head 8 slides along the upper edge of the rim 34, duringthe cutting stroke, to maintain the blade 20 slightly below the level of and substantially parallel to the end wall 33 of the can and so that the cut 35 made in the wall 32, as seen in Figure 2, wiil be immediately below the level of the can top 33. The cutting stroke is continued until the spacer block 17 contacts the outer side of the rim 34 and which prevents further swinging movement of the body member 7 and blade 20 relative to the clamping member 24 and can 31.

After the cutting stroke of the tool 6 has thus been completed, the handle 9 is swung counterclockwise back toward its full line position of Figure l. During the initial counterclockwise swinging movement of the handle 9 the pivot 25 and the clamping member 24 swing with the head 8 from the full line to the dot and dash line position thereof and `which causes the outer end of the arm 27 to contact a portion of the inner side of the rim 34 to prevent further counterclockwise swinging movement of the member 24 and so that the body member 7 and blade 20 will then swing counterclockwise about the pivot 25 relative to the member 24 to quickly extract the cutting edge 21 from the cut 35. When this has been accomplished, the tool 6 as a unit is slid circumferentially in a clockwise direction relative to the can 31 to position the end of the cutting edge 21, located adjacent the blade edge 23, at the end of the cut 35 made on the previous cutting stroke of the tool 6. The operation previously described is then repeated for executing another cutting stroke of substantially the same length in a clockwise direction as seen in Figure l. The afore-described operation is repeated a suicient number of times to completely cut off the can end 33. It will be apparent that the tool 6 is not removed from the can 31 during the several cutting strokes required to completely sever the can end 33 and that the clamping member 24 automatically moves into and out of clamping engagement as the handle 9 is swung clockwise and counterclockwise, respectively. It will be apparent that said clamping member 24 due to its unique construction not only clamps automatically to the can rim to allow the body member 7 and blade 20 to pivot relative thereto in executing the cutting stroke, but also automatically assumes a second position in engagement with the can rim to effect disengagement of the blade 20 from the cut which has been made in the can wall to then allow the tool 6 to be slid freely circumferentially of the can 31. Accordingly, it is possible to quickly and safely sever an end wall of a can with the use of the tool 6 and while holding the can with one hand a safe distance from the cutting blade 20 and while holding the tool 6 with the other hand.

It will also be noted that the fastenings 18 permit quick removal of the blade 20 so that the cutting edge 21 thereof can be easily resharpened when necessary and after which the resharpened `blade 20 can be replaced.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated any may be resorted to, without departing from the func tion or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.`

I claim as my invention:

1. A can opener comprising an elongated substantially rigid body member having one end forming a handle and an opposite end forming a substantially at head, a substantially at blade, said head including an underside, means supporting said blade on the head and with the blade disposed beneath, spaced from and substantially parallel to the underside of the head, said blade having an elongated outer edge constituting the cutting edge thereof and which is disposed remote from said mounting means, said head having an outer portion overlying the cutting edge of the blade and extending to beyond one end of said cutting edge, a can gripping member, and means swingably connecting the can gripping member to said portion of the head disposed beyond said end of the cutting edge for positioning a portion of said can gripping member against the underside of the head for swinging movement in the plane of said member and in a plane parallel to the plane of the head, said gripping member being adapted to be disposed against an end wall of a can and having spaced portions adapted to assume positions in frictional gripping` engagement with the inner side of a can rim surrounding said end wall when said body member and blade are swung relative to the can whereby the body member and blade will swing about said pivot means for causing the cuttingl edge of the blade to cut the can wall when the body member and blade are swung in a direction for movement of the blade toward said gripping member.

2. A can opener as in claim 1, wherein said gripping member is of a thickness and supported by said pivot means to swing between said head and blade.

3. A can opener as in claim 1, said gripping member being substantially Vshaped and being journalled on said pivot means adjacent the apex thereof, said gripping member having an arcuate edge delining the apex thereof and constituting one of the points of gripping engagement of said member with the can rim, and the outer end of one arm of said gripping member constituting the other point of gripping engagement of the member with the can rim. v

4. A can opener as in claim 3, said arcuate edge being eccentrically disposed relative to said pivot means to facilitate positioning the gripping member within the can rim 4and the blade outwardly 4with respect to the can Wall, in one adjusted position of the gripping member relative to said body member.

5. A can opener as in claim 1, said cutting edge being convexly bowed from end-to-end thereof, said head having a relatively long convexly bowed outer edge, said outer edge of the head being spaced outwardly from the cutting edge and being disposed substantially concentric thereto.

6. A can opener as in claim 5, said head being ared toward said outer edge thereof, and said cutting blade being flared outwardly toward the cutting edge.

7. A can opener as in claim 1, said gripping member being substantially V-shaped and being journalled on said pivot means adjacent the apex thereof, said gripping member having an arcuate edge defining the apex thereof and constituting one of the points of gripping engagement of said member with the can rim, and theouter end of one arm of said gripping member constituting the other point of gripping engagement of the member with the can rim, and the other arm of the V-shaped gripping member being swingably movable into engagement with the inner side of another portion of the can rim when the body member is swung in the opposite direction for causing the body member and blade to swing relative to the gripping member to disengage the cutting edge from the cut of the can wall.

8. A can opener as in claim 1, said means for mounting the blade on the head including a spacing member disposed between a portion of the underside of the head land a portion of the blade disposed remote from the cutting edge, and nut and bolt fastenings extending through the head, spacing member and blade for detachably mounting the blade beneath the head.

No references cited. 

